Badal Mahal, Chanderi

Badal Mahal Gate, one of the most prominent structures in Chanderi, was built in 1460 under Sultan Mahmud Shah Khilji I of Malwa, reportedly to commemorate a victory over the Bundela Rajputs. Despite the name, no palace (mahal) is attached to it; such freestanding commemorative gateways were built at Chanderi and elsewhere to mark important events and to receive dignitaries.

The gate is a double-arched entrance about 50 feet high, flanked by tall fluted minarets and tapering circular bastions. Above the arched doorway is a jaali screen with four distinct patterns, and floral roundels decorate both the gate and the minarets, alongside miniature arched facades and geometric ornamentation typical of Malwa Sultanate architecture.